Stubborn as a Stonewall
by Battlefield Angel
Summary: The second outing of Kate Rhys into the world of Harry Potter... I promise, danger, death, and the gratuitous firing of cannon!
1. An Argument

Here you are! The latest installment of Kate Rhys at Hogwarts! This will cover both the summer before and the schoolyear of her 17th birthday. And believe me, there are enough plot twists to make even me dizzy! Look for danger, destruction, death, and a whole lot of gratuitous cannon firing! As always, on your knees to worship at the alter of the great Athena of HP, J.K. Rowling. I own only the khepi on my head, the cat on my lap, Cannon Hill and Buy Bell Book & Candle. Also note, if the format is screwy, its not my fault! K.S.  
  
Stubborn as a Stonewall  
  
"I will not do it, Albus! I refuse to do it!" "Now, now, Severus. No need for such dramatics. They're only children! They need protection." Dumbledore said, exasperated with the Potions Master. "Children? Those four? Not content with being the three most foolhardy children on the face of the earth, add Katherine Rhys and you get the recipe for nitro glycerin! I will not do it! Especially not on that battlefield. The gods only knows what spirits that girl can raise on that ground.!" "Severus. Gwen asked especially that you look after her little girl." Albus Dumbledore said softly, looking at the Potions Master from half lowered eyes. The angry look softened. And Snape murmured Gwendolyn's name. The girl was right, the old man mused, emotional blackmail was most effective. "When must I collect the brats?" 


	2. Sundresses and 'Stangs

"Hey there! The car is over here!" The leggy young woman in the sundress called out. The bright sun caught the auburn highlights in her hair and the short, flirty skirt of the dress fluttered in the wind. The three young people, accompanied by the tall man in the suit gaped at the transformation of Kate Rhys. She was leaned up against an automobile that was a positively indecent shade of red. "Is this what your High Council deems suitable transportation?" The man asked in a British accent. "Council-schmouncil. This is my car. I've wanted a Mustang for heaven only knows how long, and I have finally gotten one. The 'rents took off for New York this morning, it was easier to leave from there than Washington, you know. So we have Cannon Hill and the entire surrounding area all to ourselves... no other witch or wizard has the balls to approach a twenty- mile radius of the place. So, hop in, I'll get us onto the interstate, and we'll be in good old G-town in about two hours, give or take traffic and a couple anti-speed detection spells. This baby purrs even better than my cat. Well, what are you waiting for? I am most definitely not taking you four sight-seeing. Not till I am properly attired.... in jeans and a tee shirt."  
  
"I don't think that's the problem, Kate," Harry said. " Ron's not used to cars like that; you've heard about the Anglia. Frankly, I love it."  
  
"Of course you love it, it is a Mustang! Now, you three in the back. The front passenger's seat is the only one with enough legroom for the Professor. Pile in!" Kate herded the people her age into the cherry red convertible. Snape opened the door to the passenger side without assistance. "Hell, I even got my nails done for this!" Kate grumbled laughingly and got in. She put on her seat belt, motioning for the others to do the same. Then she threw the car into gear, pulled out of the parking lot, and zipped down the road. She looked at Professor Snape. He was sitting with his hands clenched on the armrest and his eyes staring blankly at the road. Laughing, Kate leaned over and played with the radio till she found a station she liked. She looked at him sideways, hit the gas and said, "Heigh-ho silver!" Then she cranked the music and they very nearly flew. The three teenagers in the back seat adored the pick-up and speed the car had. Kate herself reveled in it. It was flying without ever having to leave the ground, and her hair was loose and she was at the wheel. It was absolutely hilarious to see the only adult in the car completely terrified, like he had accidentally gotten onto the roller coaster which had nine upside down loops. He breathed a sigh of relief when they stopped for lunch somewhere in the wilds of Maryland. "I will take care of the bill, and for pity's sake, behave yourselves," Kate said, "You all should be able to read the menu. Just don't order grits or chitlins and we will all survive. Personally, I suggest slippery chicken soup... it's chicken and dumplings, and really very good. I have to put more gas in the 'stang. I trust you can find us a booth or something?" Snape rolled his eyes. Less than an hour into the 'vacation', she was already ordering them around as though they were idiots or children. And what was her mother thinking when she let a sixteen year old out in that dress? She was asking for trouble. He let the children sit at an open table, preferring a booth for himself. Kate came in and motioned him over to the table where she sat herself at the head. The foot was empty, save for a chair. "We must keep up appearances. You're supposed to be looking after us. The chaperone." She said pointedly, with her trademark brow raised. She smirked when he got up and sat down at the foot, glowering. "Much better. Now, where is our server?" Kate said, looking about for a waiter. The young man appeared, dressed in the uniform of the restaurant. "How can I help you today? Can I get you some drinks?"  
  
"Four vanilla Coke's and an ice tea with lemon. No, wait, make that three vanilla Coke's and two iced teas with lemon." She shot the young man a dazzling, 100 watt smile. He rushed off at once to take care of it. "You'll like this place. It's a bit out of the way, but I prefer places like this to McDonalds or other fast food. I hope you don't mind I ordered drinks? The Coke's for everyone but the Professor and I. I'm trying to cut down on soda." "No, Kate, we don't mind. I know I have no clue what I'm doing. Order around all you want," Ron said. She grinned in return and looked at the menu. She knew precisely what she wanted. The food was not as good here as it was at Farnsworth House, but then, nothing really was. 


	3. Battlefield Spirits and Cannon Hill Imag...

After a week in Gettysburg, Kate had everyone under her thumb. She would work Buy Bell Book & Candle whenever she wanted, considering that Professor Snape was deathly afraid of the Mustang, she could head off in it and expect not to be bothered. Things seemed to be settling into an acceptable routine. The ghosts made themselves scarce around her friends; only Major Rhys would come to the old farmstead without any apprehension.  
  
The ghosts. Kate felt as though she were neglecting them. Oftentimes, she would run off for a couple hours, either in the Mustang or on Traveller, and visit with the battlefield spirits who had been her first friends and companions. Orion, her faithful shadow was with her at all times. It was a common sight to those who cared to pay attention: A slender figure with dark hair piled into a ponytail, clad in a tank top and jeans, striding through the tall grasses, a small dark figure trotting beside her. Some thought her a tourist; others thought she was a park ranger's daughter. Some, on hazy twilights, swore she herself was a spirit.  
  
Once, Harry followed her under his Invisibility Cloak. He watched her get into the trunk; she got out a bucket, a wooden ladle, and three jugs of spring water. Kate lugged her cargo through the gate to the Triangular field. Harry felt the wind rise, but ignored it as Kate moved further into the field. Nothing seemed to deter her from her charge. Nearing the tree line, he saw her look up. The woods were eerily bright. Nodding to the blurry images just behind the veiling foliage, she bent and began her ritual. She needed no cameras or video to see the orbs dancing. Harry nearly fell when he saw what was happening. She filled the pail to the brim with the water. Next she dipped the ladle in. They were clearing the tree line. She turned and walked away calmly, collectedly. When she had passed the gate, she looked back. The spirits had taken form and were surrounding the bucket, dipping the ladle and drinking thirstily.  
  
"Come on Harry. I'm done." She said, and walked back to the Mustang. She smiled at the ghosts waving at her, and made a quick salute in return. She ambled back down the path to Devil's Den, Harry trailing behind her. Winding her way around the boulders, Kate stooped to collect Orion into her arms. The black cat wasn't overly fond of going into the Triangular Field; the specters there were not the most friendly of the spirit folk. Though they all adored Kate, they tolerated few others. Orion was not one of those favored few. Harry sat shotgun, Orion on his lap.  
  
"Why did you do that, Kate? Give them water?" Harry asked, his voice almost lost in the wind created by the convertible.  
  
She didn't answer him immediately, and when she did, her voice was soft and serious, "On July 2, 1863, most of those spirits went directly into battle after a forced march. They sent some men to fill their canteens, but were sent into battle before they could get their water. Most of those men didn't make it back to claim their canteens. I bring them water as much as I can. It eases their restlessness. There are fewer frights amongst the Muggles when I do this, and there are fewer occasions of unpleasant things happening in the Triangular field. I do it so they can have some sense of repose. To ease that endless suffering." That is why I do it." The rest of the drive to Cannon Hill was spent in silence. Harry was almost afraid to ask Kate anymore questions, and Kate seemed disinclined to talk to him.  
  
Cannon Hill was, as always, a warm and inviting sight. It wasn't a manor, per say, but it was a cozy farmhouse, built in the Pennsylvania style. With a native stone foundation, it presented a serene slate gray exterior to the world. Two Napoleon howitzers graced the front yard, which was also strewn with boulders. There was a stable on the lower slope of the hill, graced with apple trees, laden with green fruit. Behind that, the drive extended to the garage, roomy enough for Kate's Mustang, Sirius's motorbike, as well as various odds and ends mechanical things.  
  
Up on the crest of the hill, behind the enormous farmhouse, an enormous garden spread like a carpet of exotic flowers and herbs. One flower ruled supreme, the rose. There were so many as to intoxicate the senses in June. Nearly every proper shade a rose ought to be, and none holding that sickly sweet scent of old fashioned Muggle roses. There was even a rare New Moon blue rose bush, lovingly cared for by Gwen and Kate. But many other flowers bloomed in the sun's golden light in that garden. Lavender for luck, hyacinth and lilac, Queen Anne's Lace, heartsease and narcissus, even a plot dedicated to the bane of every lawn, dandelion. Flowers magical and non-magic, in every color of the rainbow. Beyond the flowers was the herb garden, pungent and inviting. Chamomile grew there, as well as mints of every variety; cooking herbs and potions herbs. Herbs for teas and tisanes. There was a small greenhouse behind it all, which held the poisonous plants. The cats ruled at Cannon Hill, and so the greenhouse was as far from the curious creatures as possible. Here bloomed Aconitum napellus, Nerium oleander, Atropha belladonna, Artemisia absinthium, and Convallaria majalia. The raw poisons in each plant were enough to kill a strong man. Snape had taken one look at the greenhouse and fallen in love. 


	4. Author's Notes

Author's Notes #1  
  
Ok, so everyone knows, Cannon Hill is Kate's home in Gettysburg. This last chapter holds the most detailed description of her home to date. I had Kate repeat an action which was featured in one of my original Kate stories, just because it is something which I personally believe those spirits haunting the Triangular Field would appreciate. Anywho, another interesting little tidbit. For those of you who don't speak scientific jargon, I have the names of various little plants. Professor Snape would be proud of me. Aconium napellus- Aconite (hee hee); Nerium oleander- Oleander; Atropha belladonna- Deadly Nightshade; Artemisia absinthium- wormwood; Convallaria majalia- lily of the valley. Ain't I a stinker??? I'll update soon, I promise I will this time.  
  
K.S. 


	5. Looking for ghosts

I know, I know..... I did promise. I lied. I've not had much time to update. What with school, runaway cats, and other various and sundry things, I just haven't had much time. Here is the new chapter.  
  
She had set aside her precious typing contraption, and was working on her even more precious automobile. That is what Snape had called it when he had first seen her dismembering the old computer keyboard. She liked to piddle-fart with machinery. Gears and fuel lines and modems... the mysteries of computer chips and motor oil. Her hair was caught high in a ponytail and hidden beneath a ballcap. She wore jeans and a tank top, and her feet were bare. That was what so many people thought was odd about her- she had dozens of shoes in her closet, but she went around without any on as often as she could.  
"Careful, you could fall in." A cheerful voice said from behind her. A moment later, she recieved a swat on her posterior that made her lose her balance. She stood abruptly, hit her head on the hood, and began to curse soundly... in several languages.  
"Do that again and you will be fodder for artillery practice.... double cannister." she muttered in a feline growl. Kate rubbed her head again, and resumed her work under the hood.  
"It's lunch time. Snape is fuming because there are no House Elves to cook, and Hermione isn't exactly a chef... and we're sick of peanut butter sandwiches and fast food." Harry explained. Kate grimaced.  
"All right. Let me get cleaned up and I'll make something quick and light. I need to work on the air conditioner this afternoon too." Removing the heavy gloves, she washed her hands at the pump which was attached to the garage. Then she took a large basket and went to the vegetable part of the garden. Cucumbers, bell peppers and greens were gathered, as well as some dandelions for salad. In the kitchen, after her first disasterous attempt at gourmet, she had proved most competent at making good, old- fashioned meals.  
She made grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, vinegar pickles and a wilted dandelion salad with a light vinegriatte ove the top. She did all this with a brisk efficiancy which had at first shocked her friends.  
She ended up feeding most of her food to her two cats, having aquired another. Rappahannock, a sleek calico, had adopted Kate. She and Orion weren't quite sure whether they got on, but, as Kate had remarked to Hermione, that probably meant that they'd end up as mates.  
But she had finished first and put her plate in the sink, then went outside again. But she did not return to her tinkering. Settling in a white wicker sofa, she curled up with a book. Not the type of book that Hermione always carried around, oh no. This was a paperback, with a cover proclaiming a mystery title. The summer day was so perfect, with the aroma of plants, good, tilled earth, and the almost imperceptible scent of spirits, and the sensation of soft, contented cats on her lap, lured her into a nap. Hermione and Ron had snuck off for a snogging session; but Harry and Snape both watched her, from their respective vantage points. Snape watched her with a sense of panic. She was still so obviously a child, despite all her cleverness and grown-up behavior. Harry watched her with something that bore upon reverence. Here was the daughter of his beloved godfather. So far from Hogwarts and any crushes he might have had there, he thought her the sweetest girl in the world, with her bare feet swinging over the arm of the wicker seat, a thick braid over her pale shoulder, gleaming in the sunlight.  
And he only realized it when Snape had come to loom over her, like a cloud obscuring the moon. He leapt to her defence, standing opposite Snape.  
"Let her be." He said, warning in his voice.  
"You're assuming I'd hurt her? My god, boy! She's the most precious person in the world... " the older man stopped short, then resumed, "I love her as if she were my child. And I am eaten from the inside out with regret that she isn't. What's your excuse, Potter?" He turned and left abruptly leaving Harry to ponder the bitter question.  
Suddenly, he bent and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then to her cheeks, her closed eyelids, and finally her mouth... Then, appalled by the familiarity with which he had be acting, he straightened up and fled to the stable, the horses being out in the pasture, and he was assured privacy from anything approaching sentience while he figured out what he was thinking.  
Kate awoke to a very pleasant sensation. It was almost like sitting up in the bower in June, with a good breeze stirring the roses to brush against her face. She had read somewhere, that there was only one thing softer and sweeter than a rosebud, but she had dismissed that as sentimental drivel. But the idea of a phantom lover, coming only in her dreams was slightly erotic....  
When she fully awoke, the feeling had gone, and she was alone... well, not quite alone. The cats had abandoned her, but sitting on one of the wrought iron patio chairs, was Major Owain Rhys.  
"You look smug." She commented, yawning.  
"So do you. Like you'd had your first kiss.... and enjoyed it."  
"Sorry to disappoint, Granddad. I only dreamed I had."  
"Did you now? Child, you don't need to keep so busy. Come to the field for a while. They miss you down there. Walk the trails, dip your feet in the stream. Re-charge."  
"Good idea. I'll slip away at twilight."  
She mounted Traveller and headed off to the battlefield. The mist in the valleys camoflauged her movements. Dismounting, she let the great gray horse graze as she wandered about the enormous field, touching the trees and cannon with reverent hands. She dipped her feet in Plum Run, feeling the lazy water current, and the current of something other than water, something powerful.  
She loved this land. It was saturated in her every pore. None of the others really understood how much she loved it. It was home. There was no sweeter word in her vocabulary. Walking this battlefield, seeing things which few people saw, much less understood, came naturally to her. It was after the 'Gettysburg Madness' of early July, and there were few tourists about in the evening. A few were trying to contact ghosts... maybe even film them.  
  
"Hey! Young lady! Do you happen to know what is the best place to look for ghosts?" A harsh, Western acent accosted her.  
She looked the young man up and down, letting that imperceptible air of power radiate a bit before she answered, "You can look for them all you want, but if they decide not to show themselves, then you are S.O.L." She said in a crisp voice, "Excuse me, my horse is calling me." She walked to where Traveller had emerged, nickering at her. She nodded and leapt up.  
"Good luck, finding your ghosts. I've been informed you may find more than you bargain for!" She said to the young man from her perch. She tossed a stone from her pocket to him. "In case you need to get away from something nasty. Throw this down and cross the stream." She said and rode off into the shadows. 


End file.
